APH Rare Pair Week 2019
by Freeandbored
Summary: Another 5 different stories with the same lovely characters.
1. Magical Moment

**Day 1 - Magic **

**Magical Moment **

That was a very long and stressful day. Lars was late for work, the traffic was heavy, he spilt hot coffee on his favorite suit, his phone stopped working and someone scratched the paint of his car. In consequence, he got a headache. The only thing he wanted at that moment was to arrive home.

When he got home, he could hear Mei singing in the kitchen. As every day, she welcomed him with a smile and a kiss.

"Welcome, Bunny" she said.

He kissed her back. He tried to pretend he was fine; he didn't want to worry her since she always took his problems as hers. He wanted her to be calm now, especially because she was pregnant. But it was useless; it was as if she could read him as a book.

"Lars, what's wrong?"

"Nothing" he replied. She cupped his face with her hands and stared at him.

"I have a headache" he admitted. "But just because I'm tired"

"In that case, maybe a hot shower could help you to relax"

He accepted. The contact of the hot water on his skin was very comfortable, but he took a fast shower, because he was hungry. As soon as he got out of the bathroom, he could perceive the smell of delicious food coming from the kitchen. Mei indicated him to take a sit and eat dinner.

They remained silent. Silence between them was never awkward. He supposed she wasn't as talkative as usual, because of his headache, but he asked her to tell him about her day and she did it gladly. He felt a bit better, the shower and the dinner agreed with him, but the frustration was still there.

"You look very tired, go to bed immediately. Meanwhile I'll wash the dishes"

He approached to Mei and hugged her from behind, caressing her growing belly.

"No, forget about the dishes, I'll wash them in the morning. Let's go to bed together" he said, against her shoulder. He couldn't admit it, but he wanted to be spoiled by her.

She giggled and followed him.

Once she could make herself comfortable, he got closer. She caressed his hair and he put a hand on her growing tum. They didn't talk again, silence was comfortable, but he would have liked to tell her he was being miserable. Then he felt something.

"The baby… the baby is moving!"

Lars smiled delighted, it was the first time he felt it. He kissed her. She put her hand on his and smiled. And then his problems disappeared; suddenly the world became a better place; nothing mattered but Mei and the baby. It was a magical moment.


	2. Words

**Day 2 - Language **

**Words**

Coming from two different countries and cultures didn't have to be an impediment to fall in love. On one hand, Lars was born and raised in the Netherlands, and on the other hand, Mei was born and raised in Taiwan.

At first they had lots of misunderstandings and culture shocks. Sometimes she said or did things he wouldn't do, or it was him who had strange habitudes in her opinion. But little by little both of them got used to the habitudes of the other one, and soon they even adopted them as their own.

It was Lars' idea to learn each other's language; Mei accepted immediately. After all they already knew some common words and phrases. But it wasn't as easy as they thought. There were sounds they couldn't understand, like the sound of the letters 'w' and 'r'. They took it as a funny experience; they laughed every time they mispronounced a word and ended up saying nonsense.

She was always ready to teach him spicy words, and learning the ones in his language, but he felt embarrassed. He was used to hear her curse in Mandarin, but now that he knew the real meaning of those words, he felt uneasy.

"Is this for real?" she asked while she read an article about Dutch language. "I can't believe you have a word for that. It is useful?" she asked him with a naughty smile.

He blushed. He had completely forgotten about it. Even he didn't know where that word came from and if someone actually used it.

The writing was harder for him because sometimes he couldn't find the sense of some characters and he read them one by one or he mixed them up. Fortunately, they put a note on every single object in the house with its name in both Dutch and Mandarin Chinese.

In spite of all that, this was an amazing experience. They listened to their favorite songs, and watched lots of movies and TV shows together. Sometimes they sent little notes and letters to each other, or she texted him in Dutch and he replied in Mandarin Chinese.

When they went out on walks, they pointed at every single thing they saw and name it. Everything has a new name now. Bloem - 花 (huā), appel - 苹果 (pín guǒ), huis - 房子 (fáng zi), liefde - 爱 (ài).

It was wonderful how they were connecting each other's world to create a new one, and how that linguistic barrier wasn't there anymore.

"Ik hou van jou, mijn konijntje" she said, kissing him.

"我知道，乖，我也愛你" he said, kissing her back.

* * *

**Notes:** Bloem - 花 (huā) = flower, appel - 苹果 (pín guǒ) = apple, huis - 房子 (fáng zi) = house, liefde - 爱 (ài) = love.

_Ik hou van jou, mijn konijntje_ = I love you, my bunny

我知道，乖，我也愛你 (Wǒ zhīdào, guāi, wǒ yě ài nǐ) = I know, hey, I love you too.

_The word they are talking about is _"swaffelen".

_I apologize if some words aren't well written. Like them, I'm still learning some words in both languages. _


	3. Star

**Day 3 - Night Sky**

**Star**

The sky was clear and the stars were visible. Everyone seemed to be having fun, except for Mei. She was sitting there, observing Lars from afar as usual. They weren't completely strangers, in fact, they were neighbors and both got along well, but she knew her feelings were unrequited.

Mei couldn't pay attention to her friends' conversation; she observed Lars, as if he was the only person there. She sighed. Emma noticed her concern and encouraged her to talk with him.

"The girls and I are going to walk around. Could you accompany us, Henri?"

There was something in his sister's look that made him understand he had to go with them, so he couldn't refuse. Emma winked at Mei and pointed to her older brother with a head move. Mei hesitated.

Lars was sitting on the grass contemplating the stars, but he noticed her presence. How not notice her? He had been observing her the whole time. He knew she was looking at him, as if she wanted to tell him something. What could it be? He wondered.

When she approached, he gave a hint of a smile and put his jacket so she could sit there. She felt happy with that gesture, but she thought he was just being polite. They remained silent for a while, waiting that one of them spoke first.

"The stars are the only thing that makes sense" He said.

"Ah?"

"Nothing, it's just something my grandfather used to say"

He felt awkward for starting a conversation that way. He wasn't a talkative person and when he realized they were alone, he thought he needed to say something, maybe something meaningful that made her stay there with him, as is he could make that moment last forever.

Mei smiled for the first time in the whole night, and that made him feel even more nervous. Suddenly, they saw a shooting star.

"Look! Let's make a wish!" she said, excited.

She closed her eyes, her only wish was him. What she didn't know was that he had lost all interest on stars since she was there. Now he had eyes only for her. And even if he didn't believe on wishes, he was wishing to be closer to her. He thought she was like a star, and he could only admire her from afar.

"Beautiful" he murmured.

"Hmmm?" she asked, looking at him.

"I mean, the shooting star is beautiful" he replied, nervously.

She felt naïve for still believing on making wishes. Maybe that smiled he had it was because he considered her too innocent and silly, but then, why he looked so nervous and shy. She thought her company was annoying him.

"I think I spent so much time here. Maybe you wanted to be alone" she said, standing up.

He didn't want her to go, he thought that maybe it was a good moment to tell her what he felt for her, even if he wasn't good with words, but he needed to tell her. Then he took her hand.

"Please, don't go…" he said, blushing up to his ears.

"Why? Why do you want me to stay?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Because… I like your company". Then he looked down. "No, well, I mean… I like you"

She didn't know what to say. She had been waiting to hear those words for years, and now she was just there in silence, looking at him as if he would have said the most ridiculous thing ever.

"Maybe I said something wrong…"

But she hugged him, interrupting him. She stayed there, locking him in that embrace as if he were about to disappear.

"You didn't say anything wrong. I like you too, Lars. I like you a lot" she said.

He smiled, and hugged her tightly. They felt the stars were shinning more than usual, but now they didn't feel that small facing them.


	4. Memory Of The Past

**Day 4 - History**

**Memory Of The Past**

That was a hot summer morning. Netherlands and Taiwan spent their holidays together in a house they had in the country side. They had been apart for some weeks and they needed to make up. That day they were gardening, it was something they liked to do together and both were proud of their garden. A butterfly flew among the flowers and then it landed on his straw hat. She saw it and giggled.

"Look! How beautiful" she said.

He moved and the butterfly flew away. She laughed again and kissed him, and then she continued with her work. He observed her and smiled, he thought that their relationship had changed a lot; it had been a real miracle how they went from disliking each other to being in love.

He remembered one of those days, some centuries ago, when he was exploring Formosa for the first time. He felt really intrigued by the vegetation of the place; it was very different from the one of his own land.

Back then, they were still too young. She was a lively and impulsive girl, and he was a serious young man. Both felt like completely strangers and their feelings for each other were mixed and negative mostly from her part. She thought he was a jerk, but he thought she was a spoiled brat.

She used to tell him how much she disliked him. Every time he came back to Formosa, she didn't want to see him. She didn't accept any of his presents either. It was very complicated. Until one day, when he asked her to show him the different plants of the island.

She accepted without interest, he took notes while she explained him the uses of plants and flowers. He kept some leaves and flowers as a sample too. She was annoyed; she thought he was the most boring person on earth. But his interest on knowing about her land seemed genuine.

He was observing a flower when a butterfly landed on his nose. She laughed and he blushed up to his ears, but he was happy because it was the first time she smiled in his presence. Then the tension between them disappeared. They started a sort of friendship, but that didn't last too much.

They didn't see each other for a couple of centuries, until they meet again in a Christmas party. This time everything was different. She was a beautiful young woman, but she still had that sweet smile; and he was a strong man, still serious, but shy.

It took them a bit longer to become a couple, but he was grateful of having her in his life again. She thought the same; she had found on him a best friend and a lover. He wondered if that was the natural course of events, luck or simply their karma, after disliking so much and promise that that never would change they started writing their fate.

Several things happened between the times of the Dutch-Formosa until they met again, but they almost never talked about the past and they couldn't make so many plans for the future. They just had a human form and their existence was uncertain. However they knew that as long as they were alive, they'd be together, loving each other, and enjoying one day at a time.

"It's so hot now. Hey, let's have lunch" she said.

He nodded. As an impulse, he took her by the arm, locked her in an embrace and kissed her, with such passion and tenderness that she felt her knees tremble.

"What was that?" she asked, dizzy and amused.

"Maybe I exaggerated" he replied, shyly.

"It's ok, Bunny. I love you too" she said, smiling and kissing him again.

He smiled, then she took his hand and both got into the house.

* * *

Notes:_ This is not actual history, but as some people know the Netherlands and Taiwan don't have enough history together and they don't have diplomatic relations. So there is no much to say. _


	5. Waiting For You

**Day 7 - Nostalgia**

**Waiting For You**

That summer was magical. As every year, Mei spent holidays at her grandparents' house. She was happy to see them, and spend time with Lars too. He had been her childhood friend, but this summer, things changed and that togetherness turned into love. When she arrived, he was already waiting for her in their secret place: a calm and beautiful place where they met the first time.

When she confessed her feelings for him, he wasn't sure if she would be happy at his side. Mei was a city girl, used to buildings and cars. Lars was used to the calm life of the village.

He knew his life was there, and he will be a merchant soon as his father and grandfather. He thought that he wouldn't have too much to offer her. But she didn't care about money; the sparkle in her eyes when she saw him convinced him that she truly loved him.

That last summer was important for them, because it was the first they were together as a couple. Even though it felt the same, nothing changed except the fact that now they shared sweet kisses and shy caresses and hugs.

However this happiness wouldn't last forever. She told him that her parents were planning to send her to another country so she could finish her studies, and then go to college. He thought that was great and she had his support. Then with tears in her eyes, she said she couldn't come back until she graduated. He felt sad, but he didn't say anything.

"Run away with me" she asked, suddenly.

He looked at her. Even if his heart said yes, he knew that that would be wrong and unfair for her. He sighed, took her hands and kissed them, and then he caressed her cheek.

"Mei, listen. Believe me when I say that I would like to run away with you, but right now you have things to do, and so do I. I love you so much and this is why I can't tie you to me"

"Maybe… maybe you are right… Then promise me you'll wait for me"

He nodded and hugged her tightly until both got tired of crying.

"Wait for me in our special place…"

And with this, they said goodbye.

Even so, he visited that place every day for the next four years. At first, he got the idea of planting a couple of tulips and other flowers just to surprise her. But as days passed, and he received her letters full of tenderness and love, he planted more and more, to the point that it looked like a tulip field.

Then the correspondence stopped. He didn't lost hope any second; he knew he'll see her again. Another year passed without knowing of one another. But he visited the place every day to take care of the flowers.

One day, after almost six years of no seeing each other and when he was about to give up, she appeared. Both remained silent, trying to recognize to each other. She looked a bit different; she had turned into an elegant and gorgeous woman. And he was stronger and taller; he had that serious expression, but melancholic eyes.

"Lars…"

"Mei?"

She approached and hugged him.

"I'm here, as I promised you. I'm sorry for stop writing I was busy looking for a way to be close to you. I really wanted to see you, I was afraid that maybe you were tired of waiting…" she sobbed.

He wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't apologize. Mei, I'd lie if I'd say I wasn't impatient to see you, if I wasn't afraid that maybe you forget about me. You didn't have to be afraid, just look around; all these flowers are for you"

She hugged him tightly and kissed him.

After being in that tender embrace for a while, they talked about the years they were apart. He was glad to know that she studied to be a teacher. She told him how much she wanted to see him. Every time she went to the park to be next the nature, she felt nostalgic, remembering old those days in his company. Every time she saw the stars, she remembered those nights of stargazing by his side.

"I missed those days when we were children and we played in the woods, looking for animals. Remember when I ran after you with that frog?" she asked him. "I missed not having any obligations and being free. But more important: I missed my best friend" she said, with tears in her eyes.

He wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead.

"I missed my best friend too. But what are we going to do now? You have to come back to your work"

"That's why I'm here. I told you I wanted to be close to you so I'm the new teacher of the school"

He smiled. He couldn't believe it yet.

"I came to stay"

Some months passed and they spent all their free time together. Even if she missed the big shopping malls of the city, the calm and friendly life in the village was something she won't change.

Then one day, when they were watering the tulips. She finally asked him what she wanted since the first day they met again. She took his left hand and kissed it.

"Lars… will you marry me?"

He blushed. He was expecting that, even though he wanted to ask her too. But he knew how impulsive she was.

"Yes, yes I will" then he looked down. "But you will be fine being the wife of a simple merchant?"

"After I took all these troubles you still doubt of my wish to be with you?" she joked. "I love you, you should know it"

"I love you too"

* * *

Mei sighed and looked at Lars. She wondered what would happen if they would have ran away together, probably they were too young to form a life together. Or if one of them would have forgotten the other, if when she came back to the town, he would have been married with other person.

She shook her head. Maybe it wasn't worth it to think about it. They had been happily married for years, but summer always brought her nostalgia and those memories came to her mind.

Lars closed his book and looked at her. He smiled and then he approached to hug her.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"About you and me. Thank you for waiting for me"

"Thank you for don't forget about me" he said.

Then they kissed tenderly and smiled. Maybe they looked like an old married couple, but in their hearts they were still that young couple who promised to love each other forever.


End file.
